Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Possessor's Way
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Reconstruction requires enormous amounts of money.
The impoverished empire couldn't possibly afford the funds needed for reconstruction, but if you think it can "afford" it, you're not facing the problem head-on.
The empire, from the very start,
has never operated within its own budget.
Ever since it signed the "money duplication" contract with the old treasurer houses,
every imperial budget has been built on debt.
And now, all the businesses of those treasurer houses that had been lending money to the empire belong to the empire itself.
At this point, any ordinary person would assume the empire would simply "erase" all its debts,
but the empire's mindset differed from that of common folk. Instead, it pierced straight to the heart of the credit currency scam and devised an even more revolutionary scheme.
The empire's own enterprise, the "Vault,"
began lending gold to the "empire" with literally no limits.
It was no different from the left hand lending to the right,
but in the process, the money doubled—a fairly efficient method, all things considered.
In other words,
the empire started printing money.
There was no need to fret over the side effects.
Through decades of experience, the empire had learned empirically that duplicating money brings a "boom."
Of course, the war will end someday,
and the empire will have to deal with the fallout of all that money printing itself...
But at this juncture, only the possessor could even think about the "future."
And the possessor had no intention of issuing any warnings about it.
From a 21st-century capitalist's viewpoint,
inflation is an unstoppable force of the era anyway.
The key is maximizing profits.
"Here is the map documenting the earthquake damage and the compiled business plans."
"Ah, well organized."
"Yes. The crucial part is securing the empire's reconstruction projects. For that, I plan to enlist the Parkinson House's cooperation."
"Parkinson House?"
Parkinson House. A family with deep ties to ours.
They're the ones handling slave supply, after all.
We recently swallowed up their war prisoner business,
but we still rely on them for the slave trade.
"They hold priority on national projects, but the Parkinson House lacks the capacity for large-scale construction and manpower. With the earthquake hitting so suddenly, they won't be prepared anyway. Time will pass like this, and the reconstruction work will end up with us regardless."
"Then we don't need their cooperation at all?"
"Purely for profit, no. But I see value in bolstering the Parkinson House's prestige this time around."
Prestige. For nobles, it's more vital than profit.
Families like House Riddle, with our deranged notion that "gold is prestige," are rare.
The Parkinson House is a merchant family too,
but unlike us Riddles, they prioritize prestige over money.
"They lend us their history and connections; we provide the funds and manpower. We'll claim the real profits."
"Just lending the name, then."
"Exactly. The Parkinson House will be content with that. Having their name lead such a massive reconstruction effort proves the 'imperial favor' still shines on them. It boosts their prestige considerably."
"Hmm."
"We'll have to share some profits with them, of course, but it lets us secure bigger projects faster. Net gain."
The Parkinson House monopolizes rights to imperial-permitted ventures like auction houses and gambling dens, raking in huge commissions.
They also hold the slave trading capacity we need.
We've been quietly chipping away at their interests—nothing too disruptive—straining relations a bit.
This is our chance: partner on reconstruction, build their prestige, mend ties.
"Sounds good. Proceed."
"Thank you for the trust."
"Oh, and add one more business here."
I picked up the pen from the desk
and wrote one word on Torsso's business plan.
[Childcare Business]
"We're building childcare centers."
"Childcare...? You mean orphanages?"
Well, "childcare centers" are often used interchangeably with "orphanages."
In my past life, they shifted to "childcare" because "orphanage" had a bad connotation.
But that's not what I meant.
"No. Childcare centers. Sure, they could shelter and protect orphans too, but the core role is a babysitting service—taking kids in place of their parents."
To compare, like "daycares" or kindergartens from my past life.
Parents work;
childcare centers watch and educate the kids.
As war business and reconstruction usher in a "boom,"
these centers become essential.
Labor demand is about to skyrocket.
"Plenty lost homes in the quake, and once reconstruction ramps up, direct childcare will be impossible for many. So we step in while parents work."
This world's childcare is communal mutual aid.
A few adults rotate watching kids—a traditional neighborhood custom.
The issue: factories and urbanization have eroded trust in those "neighborhoods."
And we can't dictate "women, stay home with the kids."
Not some equality nonsense;
it's just that dual incomes are the only way to scrape by.
Hire women? Hell, they hire three-year-olds as chimney sweeps if desperate.
No reason to waste cheap labor.
Weak? Light work.
Unskilled? Dangerous work.
Especially in the empire, male-short due to war—women get conscripted into labor.
This holds until slave emancipation.
"...I see. As you say: 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"
"Huh? Quoting scripture out of nowhere."
"I've been studying the Bible in my spare time lately. More intriguing tales than expected."
"Oh. Cool?"
New hobbies matter.
Bible study's wholesome.
"Caring for kids wins community favor, plus early moral and scholarly education turns them into Riddle assets. Link childcare to insurance sales too. I'll draft plans for maximum access at minimal cost."
"Sure."
...Too reliable. Kinda scary.
Time passed.
Reconstruction and finance ventures? All printing money successfully.
And yet.
This world was still shit.
"Shit."
Feels shitty.
Nothing actually went wrong.
Just... this world's an utterly shitty place.
Running the pilot childcare center
drove home how shitty it is.
"Parents dead again?"
"Yes."
Parents died.
The guardian who'd entrusted their kid to us.
Not a one-off.
Even in small-scale trials,
news like this hit nearly daily.
"Haa..."
"...Scrap the childcare business?"
"No. No. Hold on—eyes closed, thinking."
Operating childcare, I envisioned a virtuous cycle.
Kids socialized there, taught basic "morals" and "common sense," reintegrate,
succeed socially,
spread those values, subtly shifting society.
Idealistic change.
Naive as hell.
This world's communal childcare included
"trust": neighbors raise your kid if you die.
I hadn't factored that in.
Kids die easy; parents do too.
That's the world.
The era.
Humans are frail—desperate ones more so.
"..."
The reassurance:
even if I die, the kid's safe.
That comfort
might've eased them toward death.
Who knows.
Even knowing it's not my fault,
each time,
guilt chokes me.
"..."
Eyes shut.
Gloves off, no peeking. Right hand on left.
'Karl Riddle's' past lingered in this body,
flashing with my deeds since possession.
Just... self-reflection.
Right path?
When the protagonist confronts me later, can I declare: "I'm not someone you should kill"?
Dunno.
Survival's no guarantee.
"Torsso."
"Yes."
"Keep the childcare going."
"Understood."
But can't stop now.
Press on, possessor-style.
"Scale up. Buy land aplenty, aggressively absorb all 'community' childcare traditions. Losses okay. Prioritize community trust."
"Understood."
"Link with churches running orphanages: integrate parentless kids into faith communities via joint childcare-orphanage ops."
"Dori Bishop it is. Understood."
"Pay the childcare kids Talants too. Errands, good deeds, community contributions—reward them. But not for begging or sweeps."
We feed them,
so Talants aren't for bread.
"Aim for ~10 Talants after months of effort."
"...Yes. Got it."
Parents need time to release kids;
kids need time for parents.
Yeah.
Like day one of possession.
This is my way.